A Demon is a Witch
by Nixy
Summary: Minions are sent by a powerful force to weaken the sisters but pointless, lower level demons make mistakes... PhoebeCole
1. Prologue

_**A/N: Bonjour readers! Ok so this is my first Charmed fic, just to make it clear I don't own anything of Charmed blahh blahh.**_

**_After a few years of being totally devoted to the programme, I sort of lost track when the 7th series began. Thinking I had lost it forever, Santa read my mind and brought me all of the remaining series available on DVD resulting in my Charmed fandom to kick off once more._**

**_I hope you enjoy my fic, it's an idea I have been toying with for some time. I have set it some where around the end of series 4, before Cole turns into the Source… actually he is at the "I'm a jobless, powerless human with no way of finding out how to fit into the world" stage and its before Phoebe finds out she is pregnant . Though pregnant is always fun so this could still be included! But i have done it so Phoebe and Cole are married. Have i made it too confusing?? I'm still a little rusty in my Charmed knowledge so if I'm not spot on, please excuse me, I will be up to scratch in time!_**

**_So any who I'm going to shut up now and allow the fic to start! Enjoy and please review:o)_**

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**A Demon Is a Witch?**

**Prologue**

Sunrise had almost graced the city of San Francisco that Wednesday morning, its first ounces of light stretching across the velvet blanket of stars in streaks of orange and purple. The streets were quiet and still, the city's residents still sleeping behind the safety of their walls.

The Halliwell manor stood along with its neighbours in silence. The glow of the street lamp on the side walk shone up against its curtain covered windows.

On a bedside table, a digital alarm clock sat, displaying the mornings hours in red digits. Suddenly the clock went from one hour to the next and its alarm sounded. A small body hidden beneath a thick mess of duvet covers jumped at the loud screech which suddenly filled the room. She shuffled deeper into the warmth of her bed willing the noise to stop. It couldn't be six in the morning already! The alarm clock continued to scream as the volume in the wake up call seemed to climb. Beside her another body shifted slightly, a groan of annoyance escaping his musky throat. She felt his arm drape across her side and she smiled as she felt herself being dragged towards his body. He nuzzled the warmth of her neck, inhaling the scent of her hair as he settled down once more. The alarm screeched louder and an eye snapped open. He eyed the clock in annoyance and in one swift movement, removed his pillow and threw it in the clocks direction. The soft object was successful in hitting its target, forcing the clock off of the bed side table and on to the floor.

"Cole…" Phoebe's voice sounded after a moment's silence.

"Hmm?"

"I hope you didn't break that.." her voice was muffled from underneath her covers. She felt Cole shrug against her body as he snuggled closer. She smiled despite herself, finding his hand and looping her fingers with his.

"Incoming!" Paige's voice sounded from across the hall.

"What was that?" Phoebe asked, her voice more awake now. She opened her eyes for the first time and turned to look at her husband. Cole was staring at the bedroom door, his ears straining for a hint of what Paige was yelling at. Not long after a small crash could be heard from one of the bedrooms.

"I don't know" he whispered casting his green eyes down towards her.

"You stay here" she began as she kicked off the covers. Goose bumps crawled over her skin, her silk night dress proving to be little protection against the mornings chill.

"Phoebe, wait" Cole began, his ears twitching at the sound of rushed footsteps from the other side of the wall. Phoebe swung her head over her should to look back at him. Cole listened intently, his eyes not leaving his wife's face. The footsteps were becoming loud and increasingly close. His eyes widened, he could almost see what was about to happen. In an instant he grabbed the duvet covers and jumped towards Phoebe, enveloping her with the material. He ignored her yell in protest as he pushed the two of them off of the foot of the bed. Almost as soon as they were on the floor, the bedroom wall cracked and burst as a body was thrown through it. The room was quickly filled with dust and wood chippings as the wall flew about in bits, falling to the floor loudly. Cole felt Phoebe's body jump at the noise and continued to hold her tightly. He looked up to see a slumped figure of a demon of some sort in the centre of the bed. Its body was half covered in wood and bits of the wall, its green scale like skin had been wounded from the impact. Cole looked at the creature intently for a moment before the creatures eyes snapped open.

"Cole what the." Phoebe began as she threw the covers off of her body. Her face was slightly flushed and she was breathing heavily. The demons eyes snapped in the direction of her voice and a smile curved his plump lips. The creature flipped over onto its belly and dragged itself to the end of the mattress coming level with the witch. Phoebe turned towards the creature, her face inches from his. She gasped but was quickly hidden again underneath the covers as Cole pushed himself on her, forcing her down to the floor. The demon exhaled through his nose directly into Cole's face. Cole paused unable to move as a green smoke washed over his nasal passages and into his throat. The demon paused for a moment watching Cole as he struggled to breathe, his eyes wide open and his pupils dilating.

Paige skidded into view, standing in the gap where Phoebe's bedroom wall once stood, her body dressed in light blue pyjamas, her chest rising and falling dramatically along with her rushed breaths. She clutched a small vial in her hand and in a moment she had thrown it towards the creature hitting him square on the back.

Cole collapsed onto Phoebe's body as the demon fitted and exploded, its contents flying out across the room.

"Is everybody ok?" Paige called in through the hole in the wall. Phoebe crawled out from behind the bed and looked up at her sister. Cole sat up coughing matching his wife's stare.

"What the hell was that?" Phoebe demanded, pushing a messed curl from her face. She looked around her bedroom in disbelief. Her once spotless floor was now covered in wall paper and snapped bits of wood and dust. Her bed had been broken in half and her bedside table thrown across the room from the impact of the wall. Her light swung wildly from its hinges on the ceiling.

"Faction?" Paige offered with a shrug. She tensed as the light became detached from the ceiling and crashed down onto the wooden floor boards inches away from her sister. Phoebe let out a loud gasp, her face creasing up at the sound of the shattered light bulb. She opened her eyes slowly to glared at her sister, her mouth open in disbelief. Cole coughed again matching Phoebe's angered stare.

"You're welcome!" Paige snapped suddenly becoming uncomfortable under the couples stare.

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**_Short i know but its a prologue! REVIEW and let me know what you think! _**


	2. Chapter One

_**A/N: Good morning all! Hope every one is well and ready for my next chapter. Thanks to all who have review so far – its really appreciated. It really made my day reading all your reviews this morning so thanks so much for those! I hope to see some more!**_

_**Thanks again every one! I hope you all enjoy my next chapter!**_

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**A Demon Is a Witch**

**Chapter One:**

Morning light streamed in through the kitchen windows of the Halliwell manor. The eldest of the three sisters stood over the gas cooker, a frying pan set in front of her. Fully dressed and ready for the thrills of the day, she stood poking the sizzling eggs with a knife she drew her face away to let out a small cough before lifting the pan away from the flame.

"Coffee, coffee, coffee" Phoebe repeated, her voice sounding quite desperate. Piper turned to see her sister walk briskly through the kitchen and straight for the coffee pot.

"Morning" she croaked, a smile spreading across her face. Phoebe raised her eyebrows at her sister from behind the rim of her mug.

"Eggs?" Piper offered as she scooped the eggs onto a fresh plate. Phoebe's brow creased and she shook her head. She set her mug down on the side, her cheeks swollen with a mouthful of coffee.

"No time, I'm late for work."

"Cole break the alarm clock again?" Piper chimed smiling to herself as she turned to face her sister.

"Yeah, that and I wasn't planning on digging out my wardrobe from underneath my bedroom wall this morning either." Phoebe stated grabbing a sweater from the washing pile in the small room attached. Piper sighed, bringing her hand over her mouth to cough again.

"You ok?" Phoebe asked as she ripped the sweater over her head. Piper nodded.

"All this dust has tickled the back of my throat I think." She said. Phoebe nodded as she shoved her arms through the sleeves before quickly retrieving her mug from the side.

"Is Leo going to fix my wall?" she asked taking another large mouthful of her coffee. Piper shrugged.

"Leo hasn't even had time to stop in for more then half an hour. I don't know honey, ill call some one today to come and fix it."

Phoebe groaned and rolled her eyes as she knocked back the rest of the hot liquid.

"Ok I gotta go" she announced giving her sister a kiss on the cheek before rushing out into the hall way.

Piper stood still for a moment listening to the heels of her sister's boots on the wooden floor and then the front door close leaving her in silence.

"Morning" a voice from behind her caused her to jump. She swung around to face Cole who trotted in through the doorway.

"Morning" she said with a sigh of relief. Cole smiled apologetically before approaching the coffee pot.

"Aren't you going to be late for work?" Piper asked folding her arms over her chest, leaning against the kitchen side. Her eyes averted down to the ex-demon's sweat pants and baggy t-shirt. Cole poured himself a mug of the black liquid and shrugged.

"What work?" he asked, a half smile lingering on his lips. Piper coughed again and frowned. Oh yes Cole was unemployed at this moment in time.

"Sorry I forgot" she murmured remembering a conversation with Phoebe about Cole's distress on not being able to fit into a normal human life right away.

Cole laughed raising his mug to his lips. He took a gulp before coughing into the cup. He quickly drew it away, trying to keep his lips closed as he coughed. He managed to swallow, a small trace of coffee running down his chin.

"Did the dust bunnies get you too?" she asked him pulling a face. Cole wiped his face with his sleeve and set his mug down on the side.

"Dust bunnies? I think that hermit demon did something to me this morning" Cole replied clearing his throat. Piper frowned trying to contain the need to cough.

"Why? Why would you think that?" she asked, her voice raising slightly. Her eyes followed Cole as he walked around the kitchen and grabbed a dish cloth from a draw.

"I've seen those things before" he began, his voice muffled by the cloth as he wiped his face. "They are demonic slaves, forced to act for higher level demons of sorceresses. They are usually sent at the beginning of an attack of some sort to weaken the target and I think that what ever that thing did to me was meant for Phoebe" his voice lowered at the thought of a slimy demon hurting his wife.

"What did it do to you?" Piper asked leaning forward on the work surface, her long dark hair spilling over her shoulders.

"I don't know, it breathed on me but it made me go all funny"

"Funny?"

"You know what I mean. Nothing good"

Piper looked down at her hands, her memory floating back to the times when her and her sisters had turned into some form of demonic monster. She felt her heart drop.

"No" she agreed quietly, her brown eyes examined Cole as he lent back against the kitchen top, his face expression less. He looked up, his light eyes meeting her dark ones.

"Oh, I do not have time for this right now" Piper whimpered pitifully as she lowered her head, pressing her fore heard against the cool kitchen work surface.

"Phoebe, your sister is on the line"

Phoebe glanced up over the rim of her glasses at her PA. The young woman's blonde hair was clipped back neatly in a bun, her artificially tanned face looking too fresh for a Wednesday morning. Phoebe smiled, her brown eyes meetings her companions blue ones and she nodded, thanking her assistant before picking up the phone.

"Bonjour!" She announced cheerfully pressing the receiver against her ear.

"My we are sounding a lot more cheerful"

Phoebe half smiled at the sound of her younger sister's voice. Pressing the receiver against her shoulder, she continued to finish some half written advice.

"Yeah well I've still got splinters in my clothes. Fortunately I don't have to look at the mess and Piper is going to call some one in to fix my wall"

"I'm sorry about your bedroom Pheebs" Paige grimaced. The young witch winced at the earlier events of the morning.

"On the Brightside, that thing left enough of its insides around for me to make enough vanquishing potion for a whole Connelly"

"Wait, I thought Piper said these were just demonic slaves?" Phoebe began resting her elbows on the desk, her attention suddenly fully on the conversation.

"Well yeah they are but they live off the life of the demon that enslaves them which means they can't just be vanquished with a simple spell."

"What about the one you vanquished this morning?"

"According to the book, it won't stay dead. It will resurrect in the place it was 'killed' and just carry on with its job" Paige stated matter-of-factly

"Wait so one of those things is going to be creepy crawlying around my bedroom?!" Phoebe screeched in horror, pulling a face at the thought of her already trashed room. She reached under her glasses with her free hand to run her eyes.

"Don't worry, it doesn't happen for a good couple of hours or so, I will tell Piper so she will be on the look out to blow up its sorry ass until I can make this potion."

"Is there not a cemetery we can just bury them in?" Phoebe mumbled tiredly, dropping her head into her hand.

"No" Paige said dryly.

"So if we vanquish these slave thingies, the demon that they belong to should just blow up as well?" Phoebe's voice was hopeful. Her dark brown eyes looked up passed her computer screen and out through the gaps in her blinds. She could see her colleagues running around outside her office with printout samples and photographs, rushing around to get this evening's final paper ready for the morning. She could see her PA walking through the busied office with a tray full of coffees. She felt her stomach lurch at the though of the hot liquid.

"No not technically" Paige mumbled down the phone. "According to the book, these demonic slaves are given the same life force as their master to share while they are acting on their captor's behalf. However, this life force can be removed at any time…"

Phoebe jumped at the sound of her office door being opened. She pursed her lips almost guiltily, pressing the receiver against her chest, trying to muffle Paige's voice as she read from the Book of Shadows. She smiled as her coffee was placed in front of her on her desk and waited until she was alone again to ring the phone back to her ear.

"Are you even listening to me?" She caught the end of her younger sister's ramble.

"Uh... Yeah sorry, mid morning coffee just arrived." She laughed innocently reaching across her desk for the warm cup. On the other end of the line, Paige pulled a face.

"So anyway these things don't attack unless their demon master has some form of plan they want to action so I'm going to make a batch of vanquishing potion and dish them out so we are all armed for when they next attack"

"Wait, what makes you think they will come again?" Phoebe asked removing the plastic lid from her cup and taking a gulp of the steaming liquid.

"Well they didn't complete what they came to do. They were supposed to do something to weaken us in order for the grand plan to work but I don't think they managed to do anything. Weren't you listening to what I just read?" Paige grumbled, a sign of irritation flaring in her voice.

"Yes, of course I was, sorry honey" Phoebe apologised. She placed a hand on her chest, her brow lowering into a frown. She grumbled something inaudible before opening her mouth to let out a small burp.

"Lovely..." Paige said sarcastically, her face creasing in disgust.

"Sorry, must have swallowed too much coffee at once" Phoebe smiled gripping the receiver again.

"Ok so anyway, you are all up to date now, keep on the look out and ill see you when you get home."

"Ok" Phoebe nodded. "I'll see you at home". Taking another gulp of coffee, she hung up the phone before turning back to her column. She sat for a few moments staring at her half finished sentence, her face expressionless. Suddenly she had forgotten what she was going to write. Without looking away she reached for her coffee again, taking another gulp. She held the cup to her face, the rising steam warming her cheeks. She let out a sigh breathing in the scent of caffeine and for a moment she felt a wave of dizziness was over her. She glanced down at the brown liquid and frowned, the warm aroma burning her nostrils. Pulling a face she set the coffee down beside her and continued to type.

Outside Phoebe's office, Lucy, her PA sat at her desk leafing through some newly arrived mail. She sighed glancing at Phoebe's mail tray already stacked to the brim with letters. Glancing down at the disarray of white covering her desk, she wondered how long she was going to be there.

The sound of Phoebe's office door opening caused her to jump slightly, her hands quickly moving back into the motion of putting the letters in their correct piles. Phoebe emerged sheepishly, coffee in hand. Lucy looked up at her questioningly. Phoebe shot her a small smile before walking over to the water bin on the far side of the office. Lucy's blue eyes followed her across the office and watched as Phoebe poured away her coffee. That was a sight she had never seen before.

"You ok?" she asked as Phoebe walked passed. The petite woman stopped at her door and glanced at her companion.

"Yeah, I just feel a bit fragile this morning and the coffee wasn't helping." She said innocently before disappearing back into the sanctuary of her office.

Paige stood in front of the large ancient Book of Shadows, leafing through its old, creased pages. Letting out a sigh she decided that she had found all she could of the demon slaves and that it was just a standard vanquishing potion plus the demon guts. Flipping the book shut she made her way to the stairs, the heels of her boots thumping loudly on the old floor boards.

"Piper" she called as she jogged down the staircase. As she reached the bottom she turned and headed for the kitchen where Cole was sat at the table, a mug of cooling coffee in his hand.

"Hey" she greeted walking towards him.

Upstairs Piper emerged from her bedroom a wireless phone pressed to her ear.

"Yeah well the damage is pretty bad." She stated as she made her way towards Phoebe's bedroom. She stopped in front of the large hole where the wall once stood, glancing into the messed space.

"The inner wall" she answered. "How did it happen? Uh we were moving some furniture into a different room and we accidentally dropped something and it just… fell through" she began pulling a face at herself for her lack in thinking of a reason. There was a moments silence on the other end of the phone.

"No, it's just a…a big hole and we need some one to fix it right away." She sighed running a hand through her loose hair.

"Ok that would be great, thank you. Is there anything we need to do first?" she asked shifting her feet.

"Ok, that's all? Ok, thank you" she said quietly before hanging up. "Oh yes if you could clear the room of any excess wall material that would be great!" she mocked, annoyance flaring in her voice. "It's the whole freaking wall!" she exclaimed raising her hands up in frustration. With a sigh, her arms fell back down to her sides and she cautiously lifted a leg and stepped into the room. She made a face, wafting the dust that still hadn't settled away from her face. Grumbling to herself she crouched to the floor and started throwing any small its off wood through the hole and into the hallway.

"This is just making more mess!" she moaned to herself and she continued to chuck the wood out in to the hallway.

Behind her, on Phoebe's bent double mattress a large green stain began to glow.

"Are you ok?" Paige asked, taking a seat next to Cole. He nodded not raising his eyes to meet her.

"I found out about those demons this morning."

"Did you find out what their smoke does?" Cole asked, his voice slightly husky.

"What smoke?" Paige frowned. "The book didn't say anything about smoke. It said they are demonic slaves that once enslaved share the life force of the demon who enslaved them."

"That demon you blew up this morning smoked me with something." Cole said quietly.

"Maybe that was also something it shared with is captor? Maybe its not just its life force but its power as well?" Paige suggested. Cole shrugged.

"Well what ever it was was meant for Phoebe."

"Where's Piper?"

Cole glanced up at the ceiling. "She went to call some body about fixing the hole in the wall."

"Did she go upstairs?" Paige asked rising from her seat.

"Yeah" Cole frowned as he watched the young witch walk briskly toward the staircase.

Piper fell lazily on her butt, her back facing the hole, feeling the circulation to her feet being cut off.

"Piper?"

She glanced up at the sound of her younger sister's voice. "Yeah?" she called as she threw another piece of wall out into the hallway.

Behind her the stain had began to clump and bubble, getting bigger until its small lizard like body had fully formed. Its yellow eyes fell on Piper and silently it crawled over the rubble and wood towards the witch.

"Where are you?"

"Phoebe's room!" she yelled back, unable to contain the annoyance in her voice. A knock behind her caused her to pause. She swung her head over her shoulder to glance behind her. Pursing her lips she turned back to her task.

"I forgot to tell you, you know that demon this morning"

Piper strained to hear her sister voice as she called up the stairs.

"Yeah" she yelled over her shoulder. The sound of wood and brick falling onto the laminated flooring drowned out Paige's reply. Piper jumped, spinning on her knees in the direction of the fallen rubble.

"What?" she yelled.

"I said the demon will resurrect without a proper vanquishing potion!"

Piper swallowed glancing around the area of the fallen wall. The room was silent. Wood cracked and split under her weight as she slowly stood straight, backing towards the hallway. Her brown eyes surveyed the still room, the vanished stain on the mattress still unnoticed.

"Paige, where did you say …" she cut her own sentence off with a gasp as she swung around to face the gape in the wall. Standing before her was the small demon, its yellow eyes burning into her brown ones. For a moment Piper stood shocked before raising her arms up in front of her. Before she could flick her wrists the demon pounced, its small frame hitting her chest, the impact enough to push the small witch backwards. Piper let out a cry of surprise before she stumbled and fell backwards landing flat on her back. The small creature sat atop her chest for a moment before crawling forward. It stared at her silently, its embossed eyes capturing her winded expression. Piper saw its ears twitch at the sound of Paige's boots on the stairs. Within a moment green smoke was being blown from demon to witch, the small clouds being sucked up through her nostrils. Piper's eyes rolled back and for a moment she couldn't breathe. Her body sagged back against the floorboards, her head lulling to one said.

"Piper!" Paige exclaimed leaping into the room and kicking the creature off her. She bent down to her sister's side, lightly slapping her cheek.

"Snap out of it!" she yelled glancing quickly over to where the demon had landed. Piper opened her eyes, blinking furiously. She gasped as she was forced to sit up.

"Blow it up!" Paige demanded, her eyes watching the demon as it slowly began to lift itself onto its feet. Piper coughed, pushing her hair out of her face trying to rid herself of the disorientation that had washed over her.

"Now Piper!" the youngest Charmed One yelled as she watched the demon crawl wildly towards them. Piper blinked, glancing at the demon. She gasped, her hands flying forwards and in an instant the demon was flying around the room in bits. The two sisters hid their faces letting out cries of disgust as the demons remains fell through the room.

"Ok that vanquishing potion is the next thing on my list!" Paige exclaimed as the two women sat up. She lifted her arms and grimaced at the sighed of her pink sweater stained with green demon remains. Piper let out a growl of disapproval glancing down at her own clothing.

"Stupid demon! I just had this dry cleaned!" she yelled as if the demon could hear her. Paige let out a sigh, pushing herself to her feet before helping Piper stand.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, but my sweater is not!" the eldest sister exclaimed dusting herself off before trudging out into the hallway.

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_**A/N: So that's another chapter down! I hope it was to your liking. REVIEW and let me know what you think.**_

_**Ta muchly:o)**_

_**Next chapter soon!**_

**_Nixy_**


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